Second Star on the Right
by Lady Bordeaux
Summary: Katherine Potter may not be the girl-who-lived, but equipped with her mom's wits and her father's penchant for getting into trouble, she's going to take Hogwarts by storm. Look out, Voldemort. It's not just Harry you need to worry about. Spans years 1-7.
1. Chapter 1 - Straight on Till Morning

**Thanks for checking out my story! It's more of a prologue, to show how Kathy's life goes on at Privet Drive. BIG thanks needed to my wonderful beta reader thosedarndursleys. Thanks so much. :)**

**Enjoy!**

**Chapter 1**

**Straight on Till Morning**

"I _refuse_."

Amelia Hartfield let out the smallest sigh of frustration. She had to maintain her patience. She had to maintain her patience. _She had to maintain her patience_. It was practically part of her job description. She'd been expected to instill information in children without losing her good wits when she'd applied for a teaching position at this school and she was _going _to instill some literature in Katherine Potter's head if it was the last thing she did.

"_Peter Pan _is a wonderful novel, Kathy. I read it when I was your age and I absolutely loved it!"

The young, red-headed girl shot her a look. "You teach about books, Ms. Hartfield. Liking them is your job. It's not mine."

Gently pushing the brown-covered novel towards the reluctant student, Ms. Hartfield replied, "You're a smart girl, Kathy, and I think you'll do great things in life –"

"That's what every teacher has said to _every student ever_."

" – and to do them, you need to pass this class so you can pass this grade." She held up the book. "And right now, reading this book is the only way you can pass. We don't want to disappoint your Aunt and Uncle, do we?"

Kathy scowled deeply. "They'll be disappointed anyway, no matter what I do."

Ms. Hartfield swallowed tightly. Kathy always spoke of her guardians this way – as if they couldn't care less about her existence. Amelia wasn't sure if this was true, but certainly didn't have the license to find out. She reached out to pat the girl on the arm reassuringly, but Kathy yanked her arm away, still scowling.

Ms. Hartfield gazed at her sadly for a few moments before standing up, leaving the book lying on the desk. "Katherine, I wasn't just 'saying things' when I told you that I believed in you. I truly do." She gave her one last, kind smile before grabbing her purse and exiting the room.

Unable to blink, Katherine stared at the abandoned novel.

No one had ever bothered to believe in her before.

* * *

><p>"You're reading."<p>

"_No,_ really?"

"_Why _are you reading? You hate reading."

"Because my teacher told me to."

"You never listen to your teachers."

"Well, I did this time."

"Why?"

Kathy set down her book, ears burning, and glared at her brother from where he sat across from her in the living room. Petunia, Vernon, and Dudley were all out to dinner and they had the house to themselves. "_Because_. Just be quiet. I'm trying to concentrate."

There was silence between the two for a long moment before Harry, unable to resist, asked, "What book is it?"

Calmer, Kathy replied quietly, "Peter Pan."

"Never heard of it. What's it about?"

Kathy set down the novel once more, her expression thoughtful. She wasn't too far into it, but she supposed she knew enough to form a basic plot. "There's this boy, named Peter. He lives on this beautiful island called Neverland. There are no adults there, just a big group of kids called the Lost Boys. There's fairies, too, and Indians and mermaids. Even pirates. But I guess Peter gets lonely one day because he flies to England – "

"Flies?"

"Yeah, he can do that kind of thing. Neverland is very magical."

"How's it magical?"

Kathy shrugged. She'd never really considered that. "I don't know. I guess the author just wanted it to be that way." She shook her head to get her thoughts back on track. "Anyway, he goes to England and he meets these three kids – two boys and a girl. He shows them how to fly and takes them to Neverland, where they do all kinds of things together."

Harry was very quiet for a moment. Kathy thought there was almost a longing look in his eyes. "It sounds wonderful." Another pause, then, "I wish I could just fly away to somewhere like Neverland."

Kathy sighed and pulled the book back up to her face. "Yeah. Me too."

* * *

><p>"We just returned from parent-teacher conferences, Kathy."<p>

Kathy simply kept her eyes locked on her hands, sitting folded in her lap. Her Uncle and Aunt sat across from her on the couch, and though her gaze was elsewhere, Kathy could feel their angry stares burning angrily into her head. Harry was in the cupboard, as usual, and Dudley was more than likely right outside the door, listening to the show.

"Dudley is performing excellently, of course," Vernon said proudly. Kathy looked up in disbelief and saw him and Aunt Petunia exchange satisfied looks.

"Excellently?" Kathy spluttered. "Maybe if your idea of an excellent performance is a report card full of F's. Dudley's an idiot! He _never _does his homework. If he does, then it's because he's managed to bully some kid into doing it for him."

Petunia's expression was one of complete outrage. "Dudley has A's in _all _his classes. His teachers say he is a model student! You and your brother should be learning from him."

Kathy couldn't believe it. The oaf was cheating his way through school without getting caught! Any time she'd tried to cheat she'd been caught red-handed and suffered the punishment at school _and _at home. She felt tears burning in her eyes.

"_What _are you crying for, girl? Your own stupidity? It's not Dudley's fault that you inherited so little intelligence from your drunkard father-"

"Don't you say _anything _about my father, you fat, lazy bastard!"

Petunia gasped in shock, grabbing the edge of the couch, while Vernon rose steadily from his seat, face slowly turning red. Kathy stood up quickly, fear beginning to settle in her stomach. She backed up from her Uncle, her tears finally let loose from her eyes. She shook her head and let out a small sound of surprise when her back hit the well. Petunia, knowing what was coming, quickly exited the room. Kathy could hear her ushering Dudley away.

Vernon advanced on her, a hand raised. Kathy closed her eyes.

* * *

><p>"I'm sorry I didn't try to stop him."<p>

Harry glanced up from where he was pressing ice on one of Kathy's bruises. "I should have known he would get mad."

"It's fine," she replied. "There was nothing you could have done."

Harry nodded, but Kathy could tell that it still bothered him. That was Harry – always trying to be his best for her, always trying to help her. Always looking out for her. Kathy wished she could say that same for herself, but knew she wasn't as good of sister as Harry was a brother. She could treat his wounds when he was the one getting the beatings, could sit with him at lunch during school. But she was never quite as gentle with the ice, never quite as willing to start the conversation.

"What did you say to him this time?" Harry asked, yanking Kathy from her thoughts.

Kathy smiled lightly. "I called him a fat, lazy bastard."

Harry sighed and looked up at her, an eyebrow raised. "Kathy! You practically asked for it."

Kathy shrugged. "He insulted Dad. He called him stupid, and a drunk."

Pressing a little harder on the ice, Harry replied, his voice soft, "I know. It makes me angry, too."

A small grin returned to Kathy's face as she recalled her brother's inability to control his fire-hot temper. "Everything makes you angry, Harry." Her brother simply rolled his eyes in response.

Of course, Harry was also extremely kind, even if he was easily set off. He was nice to almost everyone, except Dudley and his gang. They were the exceptions.

Pulling the ice off the final bruise, Harry set the watery pack down on the floor. "All done." He smiled softly. "Feel better in the morning."

Kathy gave her best effort at a smile back. "I'll try. Goodnight."

"Night."

They settled down, cramped into their small sides of the bed. Kathy hugged her book closer to herself, wishing she could see the night sky. "The first star on the right," she whispered, "and straight on till morning."

She wished she with all her heart that she could go to Neverland. Little did she know, Neverland was closer than she thought.

* * *

><p><strong>How'd you like it? The Neverland thing will probably be a recurring thing. I just really love the Peter Pan story. <strong>

**Reviews are loved! Constructive Crit. is adored!**

**:)**


	2. Chapter 2 - A Lioness and a Snake

**Hey! Sorry it took me a while; writing can be tough sometimes. I really hope you like this chapter. :) Another shout-out to my awesome beta, thosedarndursleys! You comments are really helpful. :) Enjoy!**

* * *

><p>Chapter 2<p>

_A Lioness and a Snake_

"Kathy…Kathy! Get up! Aunt Petunia's calling for us."

The disheveled red-head responded by curling up further into her thin blanket, shoving her face deeper into her pillow, and muttering incoherently. She was still clutching _Peter Pan_, the pages of the paperback book crumpled from her late-night reading. "Who cares?" she replied tiredly.

Harry let out a small sigh. "_I _do," he said, rubbing a hand across his face. "I'd rather not get starved for three days because _you _didn't want to get out of bed on Dudley's birthday." It sounded harsh, but it had happened before and Harry had no desire to experience the after-effects of his sister's frequent – albeit justified – laziness once again.

Kathy's droopy eyes shot open and she abruptly sat up, swaying a little as she did so. "Dudley's birthday?" she asked, sounding slightly horrified. "_It's Dudley's birthday_? How could I have forgotten?" She began to search around for some decent clothes to put on, throwing articles here and there. "What time is it? Vernon will kill us if breakfast isn't eaten by the time Piers gets here. You know he doesn't like feeding other kids. It's a "big waste of money" after all."

Harry shrugged at his twin's question. "Not that late. Petunia just woke me up about two minutes ago."

Relaxed, Kathy began to slow down in her hunt for clothes. After she was dressed, she and Harry climbed out of the cupboard, rubbing the sleep out of their eyes and preparing for what would certainly be an eventful day.

Upon their entering the kitchen, Petunia immediately set the twins to work. "Harry!" she barked, "fry the eggs and bacon. Katherine, you wipe down the table and then set it."

They nodded obediently before going about their given tasks. As she wiped the table and set out plates, forks, and napkins, Kathy occasionally glanced up at the door to the kitchen, waiting for her cousin to walk in and the tirade of "Happy birthdays," comments such as "My dear, Dudley, eleven years-old!" and, of course, the hugs that would inevitably follow. For a brief moment, she wondered if her parents would have made a fuss over her and Harry's birthday. Would they have given her and Harry countless presents? Would they have hugged and smiled down on them, remarking on their luck of having such great children?

Realizing that she had been idle for more than a minute, Kathy shook her head, mentally and physically clearing her thoughts. _I can't think about that kind of thing_, Kathy told herself. _They're dead, Kathy. You'll never know_.

Biting her lip, Kathy finished setting the table and motioned for Harry to come over with the food. Her brother shot her an odd look, an eyebrow raised. Kathy stared back at him innocently and shrugged.

As expected, when Dudley walked into the room, Vernon and Petunia were ready. Vernon patted him firmly on the back, saying, "My boy's growing fast! He'll be a man soon," and Petunia, smiling proudly, enveloped him in one of her suffocating hugs. Kathy and Harry exchanged a look of slight disgust, shaking their heads in unison.

"You two!" Petunia shouted, when she had finally released Dudley. "Is breakfast ready?"

The two nodded, and they all sat down to eat. Dudley, anxious to unwrap his multitude of presents, inhaled his breakfast in record time. In order to keep up, Vernon and Petunia left half of their meals untouched.

_Now _that, thought Kathy, _is how you waste money_.

Still eating her breakfast, she watched as Dudley stood over his many gifts, eyes greedily taking in each and every one. Suddenly, the eager light went out of his eyes and the smile dropped from his face. "How many are there?" he demanded, turning to face his mother and father.

"Thirty-seven," replied Vernon, grinning at the large number. "Counted them all myself."

Dudley's face turned a dangerous-looking red color. Kathy dropped her fork, watching in a mixture of slight fear and amusement. While she knew it was wrong, it was kind of funny, watching Dudley get angry.

"_Thirty-seven_?" he shouted, appalled. "But last year I had thirty-_eight_!"

Kathy rolled her eyes at the sheer selfishness of her cousin. Her and Harry were lucky to get anythingfor their birthdays. By God, they were lucky if Vernon and Petunia even _remembered. _

Petunia, sensing the storm that was sure to break out if she didn't interfere, quickly said, "Okay, how about this, sweetie? When we go to the zoo, we'll get you two presents. How's that?"

Dudley squinted slightly, struggling with the mental math involved in the conversation. "So that'll be – it'll be –"

"Thirty-nine, Dudley," Petunia supplied, looking anxious to hear her own son's verdict.

Dudley nodded, apparently satisfied. Petunia let out a visible breathe and exchanged a relieved look with her husband. At the sound of the phone, she leapt up, leaving Dudley to happily tear open his presents.

As Petunia spoke swiftly and sharply to the caller, Kathy watched her cousin revel in his gifts with unconcealed envy. Setting down her fork on her cleared plate, she placed her cheek on her palm and gazed at Dudley's grinning face, Vernon's proud expression, and thought that despite how cruel and insensitive the Dursleys' were, they were still a family. They were _happy_. And that was all Kathy had ever wanted.

_It's so unfair_! Kathy thought viciously, a scowl appearing on her lips. Her aunt, uncle, and cousin were such vile people, yet they had such great lives. They could afford nearly anything they wanted, could send Dudley to expensive private schools. Why did the worst people wind up with the best of luck? Why were she and Harry left with nothing while their terrible relatives thrived?

_Why, why, why_. They were the same questions she'd been asking herself since she was little. The only thing that had changed was the amount of animosity in the words. As she had gotten older, life at Privet Drive had become more and more miserable, more and more unbearable – at least, that was how she perceived it. Probably the Dursleys' hate of her and her brother had never really increased; they loathed the twins when they took them in and they loathed them now. Nothing had changed.

Still – even if her life hadn't gotten worse, it sure _seemed _like it had. The blinders that formed during childhood had begun to dissipate, and things seemed more terrible than ever before. Kathy simply couldn't _stand _it. The Dursleys' had tried desperately to stamp out any rebellion in her, but despite their best efforts, a spark was still lit in her heart, waiting for the right moment to erupt into flames.

And her brother – by God, she loved him more than anyone else in the world, but she could not for the _life _of her understand why he simply took the brunt of it all. Why didn't he fight back? Didn't he care about being treated fairly?

"Bad news," groaned Petunia, the sound tearing Kathy away from her musings. She looked up to find a sour expression on her aunt's face. "Mrs. Figg has broken her leg and can't look after them." She jerked her head towards the twins.

Vernon leaned back against the couch, scowling. "Damn. What about that friend of yours – Yvonne?" He looked up at his wife hopefully.

Petunia shook her head and replied irritably, "She's on vacation, in Majorca, I think." She leaned against the counter, crossed her arms, and thought hard. Surely there was someone who could look after the brats – or something they could do. "We could just leave them in the car," she suggested in a slightly wary tone.

Vernon's expression darkened. "That car is new!" he snapped. "We can't let them sit in it!"

A sudden, pitiful wailing sound filled the room, and all eyes turned towards Dudley. His face was screwed up, hands clenched into fists at his sides. "They can't come!" he cried. "They'll ruin everything!"

Petunia immediately rushed over to her son and threw her arms around him in an attempt to comfort the distraught child. "Oh, Dudley!" she exclaimed. "Don't worry! Mummy won't let them ruin your special day."

Kathy looked over at her brother and the two shared a simultaneous eye-roll. This was a fairly common tactic of Dudley's. As long as he made an ugly face and annoying pseudo-sobs, his parents would grant him whatever he wished – not, Kathy suspected, out of actual concern or love, but of a desire to stop his horrid fits.

Sure enough, Dudley's crying ceased as soon as Piers Polkiss walked through the front door.

_Typical Dudley_.

* * *

><p>In the end, it was grudgingly decided that Harry and Kathy were to come with Piers and the Dursleys' to the zoo. No amount of whining from Dudley or Piers was enough to deter Petunia and Vernon from their choice.<p>

So it was that the twins walked happily out of the house, barley able to hide their elation at going somewhere in Surrey that wasn't school. Before they could climb into Vernon's car, however, their Uncle pulled them aside.

"I'm warning you," Vernon said, doing his best to appear intimidating, "if either of you two do something – something _funny_, you won't be getting meals for a week. You hear me?" He scanned the twins' faces, frowning aggressively, and said siblings quickly nodded.

_I'll agree to anything to get away from that bad breath_, Kathy thought to herself, smirking slightly as she hopped inside the car. Harry climbed in beside her, and then they were off and down the road.

The car ride consisted of the usual. Vernon complained about various topics, including the heavy burdens placed on him due to Kathy and her brother's presence in his household. He could go on about their "worthlessness" for hours, probably. Dudley and Piers's irritating snickering was an unwanted addition, but, Kathy mused, at least it mixed things up a little.

Things were going fairly well – that is, Harry and Kathy weren't beingtormented by Dudley and Piers or _completely _trashed by Vernon – until, upon a remark from by said uncle about the recklessness of motorcycle drivers, Harry remarked rather casually, "I had a dream about a motorcycle last night. It could fly."

A silence fell over the car.

Vernon turned around to face his nephew, eyes gleaming angrily. "MOTORCYLES DON'T FLY!" he shouted, his face red. Dudley and Piers erupted into snorting laughter, looked at Harry condescendingly, and proceeded to annoy the twins for the rest of the short trip.

When they arrived at the zoo, Kathy nearly threw herself out of the car. She'd only been with her cousin and his awful friend for fifteen minutes and she was ready to go right back home if it meant escaping their taunts. Why couldn't they just leave her and Harry be and mind their own business? She glared at the backs of their heads as they walked into the crowded park.

Kathy felt a gentle tap on her shoulder and glanced over to look at her brother. "Just let it go, Kathy," he whispered, reaching down to give her hand a squeeze.

Letting out an inaudible sigh, the red-head forced a small smile to her lips and focused on the exhibits around her.

Her enmity towards the two boys was quickly forgotten. Kathy was in complete awe of her surroundings. The only animal she had ever seen in real life was a dog, and suddenly she was in a room filled with foreign, beautiful, and bizarre creatures. There were monkeys, penguins – even tigers! It was enough to make her head spin.

When they stopped at an exhibit called "The Lion's Den," her breathe caught.

Right there – _right next to the glass - _was a lioness. Dudley and Piers were disappointed. They'd been hoping to see a male lion with a large mane and a terrifying roar. Kathy, however, was speechless. The lioness was a beautiful creature, with golden fur and steady, amber eyes. She sat on her hind legs, her gaze resting calmly on the people who stood in front of the glass, snapping photos and staring in amazement. Even as Kathy was ushered away by her aunt, her gaze remained on the majestic animal, proud and strong, even in captivity.

For the first time in her life, Kathy was truly, honestly having fun, and she could tell by her brother's constant grin of amazement that she was wasn't alone in her enjoyment. Things were going better than she had hoped, and for a brief moment, Kathy even looked back on the morning's musings with optimism. Maybe things weren't so bad. Maybe she and Harry _could _be happy.

Not five minutes later, these thoughts were banished.

"Make it move!"

The group was currently planted in front of an enormous cage, in which a long, black snake was sleeping.

Vernon tapped the glass, per his son's command. The snake didn't move a muscle.

"Louder!" said Dudley, annoyed at the lack of excitement. Vernon rapped the glass sharply with his knuckles. The snake remained motionless.

"This is _boring_!" Dudley moaned, shuffling off to the next exhibit. Piers, Vernon, and Petunia followed him, but Kathy, wanting a moment of away from them, went back to the previous cage. Harry, to her surprise, remained where he was, staring at the sleeping snake.

Wait – _it wasn't sleeping_.

Where moments before it had been taking a nap, the snake was now staring at her brother, head lifted to his height. And it was – by God, it was nodding!

The. Snake. Was. Nodding.

_At her brother._

Kathy began to walk towards her twin, shaking her head in utter confusion, but she wasn't the only to notice the odd behavior. Dudley beat her there, shoving Harry out of the way and pressing his hands up against the glass. "Mum! Dad! Come here and look at this!" Piers, hearing his shouts, quickly joined him.

Suddenly, they leapt back, squealing like pigs. Kathy stared at them, her level of confusion rising even further. Why were they – _oh_.

The glass had vanished. Kathy's jaw dropped.

She could only stare in a mixture of amazement and surprise as the snake slithered out of its cage and onto the floor. Bystanders began to scream in horror, scattering here and there. The snake, pausing next to her brother, gave a short hiss. To Kathy's complete shock, Harry hissed right back.

The snake then slithered out of the building, darting around the ankles of terrified civilians.

Kathy felt rather light-headed. She glanced down at her brother, bewildered. Seeing his sister's astounded expression, Harry shrugged and gave a little smile.

_My God_, thought Kathy. _He's gone senile._

* * *

><p>Naturally, they were blamed.<p>

This was probably the least shocking part of the day, given the events that had enfolded earlier. Whenever something even _slightly _strange happened in the presence of the Potter twins, the blame always fell on their shoulders. This was something that even Kathy had learned to accept without question. Weird tended to follow them everywhere. It was just a part of life. Kathy had never yearned for an explanation till now – after all, the occurrences were rare.

But _this – _this was beyond weird. It was insane. It was unfathomably bizarre.

It was impossible.

Yet it had happened, and the Potters, after being beaten sufficiently, were sent to the cupboard with the kept promise of no meals for an entire week.

At the thought of starving yet again, Harry, in a last-ditch attempt to lessen their punishment, cried, "I don't know what happened! It wasn't me! It wasn't either of us. One minute the glass was there, and then it was gone. It was like magic!"

"_There's no such thing as magic!" _Vernon snarled, and slammed the door shut.

Kathy bit back the urge to scream in frustration, opting for a frustrated groan. "Why," she said scathingly, "does this _always _happen to us?"

Harry scowled and settled himself down on the bed, throwing the covers over his head. "Good question."

Kathy snorted. _Good question indeed._

* * *

><p><strong>Thanks for reading! Reviews are <span>very <span>much appreciated. :)**


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